Treadmill-style stairstep exercise machine

ABSTRACT

A stair-step exercise machine includes: a frame; first and second rotary members rotatably mounted on the frame; an endless member engaged with the first and second rotary members; a plurality of steps, each comprising a vertical riser panel and a horizontal treading panel, wherein a rearward edge portion of the treading panel is pivotally attached to an upper edge portion of the riser panel, and wherein each step is mounted to the endless member, with the lower edge portion of the riser panel and the forward edge portion of the treading panel being pivotally mounted to the endless member, thereby forming an endless chain of steps that follows a travel path around the first and second rotary members; and a resistance control unit attached to the frame and operatively associated with one of the first and second rotary members. Each step is between about 4 and 7.5 inches in height.

RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of and priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/453,224, filed Mar. 16, 2011 and entitled Treadmill-Style Stairstep Exercise Machine, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Treadmill exercisers are well known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 2,399,915 to Drake discloses a treadmill exerciser wherein the treadmill portion is oriented in a substantially horizontal disposition. U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,215 to Harrison et al. shows a treadmill exerciser which is forwardly and upwardly sloping and which, broadly, involves a plurality of movable steps which are moved downwardly and forwardly by the weight of the exerciser in an attempt to climb up the steps. U.S. Pat. No. 3,592,466 to Parsons is similar to the aforementioned Harrison et al patent. U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,195 to Potts also discloses a treadmill exerciser involving an upwardly and forwardly sloping treadmill having a plurality of steps which are activated by the weight of a person “walking” up them. The Potts device includes a plurality of movable hinged “steps” that are attached to endless chains. The chains are composed mainly of conventional links; however, “special” links, which allow horizontal tread portions and vertical risers of the steps to travel around sprockets, are placed at predetermined locations along each chain and are spaced equidistant from each other. The upper end of each riser is connected to the outer end of each tread portion by means of a piano hinge whose mating parts are attached to the tread and riser. The lower end of each riser is connected to the rear end of each tread portion by another piano hinge which is received on a hinge shaft. The tread and riser portions fold to an acute angle when they traverse around a sprocket whereas they are normally at right angles along the straight portion of the chain between sprockets.

The Potts machine, which is available from Core Fitness, LLC (Vancouver, Wash.) under the trade name STAIRMASTER, has steps with 8 inch risers and tread portions. This spacing is suitable for tall exercisers, but can render the machine too strenuous or difficult for shorter exercisers, particularly women.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As a first aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a stair-step exercise machine The exercise machine comprises: a frame; first and second rotary members rotatably mounted on the frame, wherein the first rotary member is mounted above and forwardly of the second rotary member; an endless member engaged with the first and second rotary members; a plurality of steps, wherein each of the steps comprises a generally vertically-disposed riser panel and a generally-horizontally disposed treading panel, wherein a rearward edge portion of the treading panel is pivotally attached to an upper edge portion of the riser panel, and wherein each step is mounted to the endless member, with the lower edge portion of the riser panel and the forward edge portion of the treading panel being pivotally mounted to the endless member, thereby forming an endless chain of steps that follows a travel path around the first and second rotary members; and a resistance control unit attached to the frame and operatively associated with one of the first and second rotary members, the resistance control unit being configured to impart a selectable resistance to the rotation of the first or second rotary member, thereby providing resistance to the movement of the endless member. The riser panel of each step is configured such that each step is between about 4 and 7.5 inches in height. In this configuration, the exercise machine may be more comfortable for use by a shorter exerciser.

As a second aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to A stair-step exercise machine, comprising: a frame; first and second rotary members rotatably mounted on the frame, wherein the first rotary member is mounted above and forwardly of the second rotary member; an endless member engaged with the first and second rotary members; a plurality of steps, wherein each of the steps comprises a riser panel and a treading panel, wherein a rearward edge of the treading panel is pivotally attached to an upper edge of the riser panel, and wherein each step is mounted to the endless member, with the lower edge of the riser panel and the forward edge of the treading panel being pivotally mounted to the endless member, thereby forming an endless chain of steps that follows a travel path around the first and second rotary members; a resistance control unit attached to the frame and operatively associated with one of the first and second rotary members, the resistance control unit being configured to impart a selectable resistance to the rotation of the first or second rotary member, thereby providing resistance to the movement of the endless member; and a display mounted to the frame and associated with the resistance unit, the display being configured such that the resistance control unit powers the display. In this configuration, the display can be self-powered by the resistance unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a treadmill-style stairstep exercise machine according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the machine of FIG. 1 with the cover panels removed.

FIG. 3 is a side section view of the machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the machine of FIG. 1 with the cover panels removed.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the machine of FIG. 1 with the cover panels and alternator removed.

FIG. 6 is an opposed perspective view of the machine of FIG. 1 with the cover panels removed.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the machine of FIG. 1 with the cover panels removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements throughout. Thicknesses and dimensions of some components may be exaggerated for clarity.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein the expression “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

In addition, spatially relative terms, such as “under”, “below”, “lower”, “over”, “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “under” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “over” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “under” can encompass both an orientation of over and under. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.

All of the patents set forth both above and below are hereby incorporated herein in their entireties.

Turning now to the drawings, a treadmill-style stair-step exercise machine, designated broadly at 10, is shown in FIG. 1. The machine 10 includes a frame 12 having two horizontal segments 14 (only one is shown in FIG. 1), two upright segments 16, and two angled segments 18 that merge at their upper ends. A display console 20 is mounted to the intersection of the angled segments 18 for display of relevant exercise information (time, pace, distance, and the like). A pair of handles 22 are also mounted to intersection of the upper ends of the angled segments 18. Two cover panels 24 are mounted at their lower ends to the frame 12 and extend upwardly and forwardly therefrom.

Turning now to FIG. 2, the frame 12 also includes two mounting members 46, which extend upwardly and forwardly from the frame 12 beneath the cover panels 24. A cross member 48 spans the upper, forward ends of the mounting members 46. The mounting members 46 are braced from underneath by braces 49. Additional stiffening members are also included.

Referring still to FIG. 2, an endless series of steps 30 is shown therein. Each of the steps 30 includes a horizontal treading panel 32 and a vertical riser panel 34. The treading panel 32 and the riser panel 34 that form a step 30 are attached via pivot pins 35, which is mounted to the upper edge of the riser panel 34 and the rearward edge of the treading panel 32. In turn, the lower edge of each riser panel 34 is attached via pivot pins 37 to the forward edge of the treading panel 32 of the next step 30, thereby forming the endless series of steps 30. In the illustrated embodiment, seven steps 30 are included, although this number may vary.

When the treading panel 32 and the riser panel 34 are in the form of a step 30, as in FIG. 1, the step so formed is between about 4 and 7.5 inches tall, and typically between about 6 and 7.5 inches tall, with embodiments of about 6.5 inches and 7.4 inches being preferred. Steps of this size may be less strenuous or stressful for some exercisers, particularly shorter exercisers and/or women exercisers, which may cause the machine 10 to be more comfortable to use. The treading panels 32 are sized to form a treading portion (to receive an exerciser's foot) that is between about 9.5 to 12 inches in depth.

Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the endless series of steps 30 is mounted to the frame 12 via a chain 40 that is mounted onto two sprockets 42, 44. The sprocket 42 is mounted to the lower ends of mounting members 46 via an axle 50, and the sprocket 44 is mounted near the upper end of the mounting members 46 via an axle 52. The chain 40 is threaded around the sprockets 42, 44. The pivot pins 37 between the treading panel 32 of one step 30 and the riser panel 34 of the next step 30 are attached to pins between individual links of the chain 40. The upper sprocket 44 is attached to and rotates with a larger gear 54.

The steps 30 move in an endless loop around a path defined by the lower sprocket 42 and the upper sprocket 44. The positions of the sprockets 42, 44 cause this path to take an angle of between about 35 to 40 degrees to horizontal (in some embodiments, this angle is about 38 degrees). As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the treading panels 32 and riser panels 34 can pivot relative to each other, such that the steps 30 collapse as they travel in the vicinity of the sprockets 42, 44 and return to an erect form as they travel between the sprockets 42, 44.

Referring now to FIGS. 5-7, the machine 10 includes a resistance-control unit 60 that is attached to the frame. The resistance control unit 60 may be any known in this art to be suitable for use with treadmill-style stairstep machines, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,195, supra, but in this embodiment includes an alternator-based resistance unit similar to those found in other exercise machines available from Med-Fit Systems, Inc. (Independence, Va.), including an upright stationary bicycle (Model No. U916), a recumbent stationary bicycle (Model No. R916), and an elliptical exercise machine (Model No. E916). The resistance-control unit 60 is operatively connected with the display 20 to enable an exerciser to select the degree of resistance to be experienced during exercise.

The resistance-control unit 60 includes an upper pulley 62 that is attached to an upright 64 of the frame 12 at a pivot 66. The upper pulley 62 includes a central hub 65 of smaller diameter. An endless belt 70 is routed over the gear 54 and the central hub 65. A lower pulley 72 of similar construction to the upper pulley 62 is mounted to an extension 74 of the frame 12 at a pivot 76. The lower pulley 72 includes a central hub 75. An endless belt 78 is routed over the periphery of the upper pulley 62 and the hub 75 of the lower pulley 72.

An alternator 80 is mounted to the frame 12 via the extension 74. A rod 82 extends laterally from the alternator 80 and receives one end of an endless belt 84, which is also routed over the periphery of the lower pulley 72. The alternator 80 is configured to provide resistance to the rotation of the rod 82 and may be of a conventional construction. The alternator 80 may be powered by an external source (such as an AC outlet) or battery-powered.

Without a resistance-control unit 60, the steps 30 would move freely in an endless loop around the path defined by the lower sprocket 42 and the upper sprocket 44. Thus, an exerciser perched on a tread panel 34 of a step 30 would cause the steps 30 to move counterclockwise (from the vantage point of FIGS. 3 and 4) around the sprockets 42, 44. Movement of the sprocket 44 would rotate the upper pulley 62 about the pivot 66 via the belt 70. Rotation of the upper pulley 62 would in turn rotate the lower pulley 72 via the belt 78. Rotation of the lower pulley 72 would rotate the rod 82 about its axis. However, the alternator 80 resists rotation of the rod 82. As a result, the resistance-control unit 60 can provide resistance to the movement of the steps 30. The level of resistance experienced by the exerciser depends on the magnitude of resistance imposed by the alternator 80, which can be selected by the exerciser, typically via the display 20. It will be clear to those of skill in this art that the illustrated configuration of pulleys can greatly increase the resistance imposed by the alternator 80, such that a relatively low level of resistance at the alternator 80 can be multiplied at the steps 30.

Also, it should be noted that the presence of the alternator 80 can enable the machine 10 to operate in either of two modes: (a) a self-powered mode, in which the weight of the exerciser drives the steps 30 about the sprockets 42, 44 and powers the display console 20 via the alternator 80 to enable the exerciser to set controls for exercise; and (b) an externally-powered mode, in which the display 20 is driven by an external power source to enable the exerciser to set controls for exercise. The exerciser can choose which mode he/she desires prior to commencing exercise, with the self-powered mode being potentially advantageous in saving power. If the machine 10 includes a self-powered mode, the machine 10 should include a cable (not shown) that enables power to travel from the alternator 80 to the display 20.

Those skilled in this art will appreciate that the machine 10 may take other forms. For example, the sprockets 42, 44 may take the form of gears, pulleys, or other rotary members. The chain 40 may be replaced with an endless member of another form, such as a belt or cable. The steps 30 may be attached to the endless member in any manner that enables them to rotate about the rotary members. The resistance control unit 60 may be replaced with another form of resistance control unit, such as a friction brake or the like, that enables the operator to select a particular resistance. Also, the resistance control unit 60 may be configured such that the resistance it imparts is selected in a manner other than the display; for example, the resistance control unit 60 itself may have a dial, lever, or the like that the exerciser can access. Other variations of the machine 10 may also be employed.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as recited in the claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein. 

1. A stair-step exercise machine, comprising: a frame; first and second rotary members rotatably mounted on the frame, wherein the first rotary member is mounted above and forwardly of the second rotary member; an endless member engaged with the first and second rotary members; a plurality of steps, wherein each of the steps comprises a generally vertically-disposed riser panel and a generally-horizontally disposed treading panel, wherein a rearward edge portion of the treading panel is pivotally attached to an upper edge portion of the riser panel, and wherein each step is mounted to the endless member, with the lower edge portion of the riser panel and the forward edge portion of the treading panel being pivotally mounted to the endless member, thereby forming an endless chain of steps that follows a travel path around the first and second rotary members; and a resistance control unit attached to the frame and operatively associated with one of the first and second rotary members, the resistance control unit being configured to impart a selectable resistance to the rotation of the first or second rotary member, thereby providing resistance to the movement of the endless member; wherein the riser panel of each step is configured such that each step is between about 4 and 7.5 inches in height.
 2. The exercise machine defined in claim 1, wherein the treading panel of each step is configured to provide a treading surface of between about 9.5 and 12 inches.
 3. The exercise machine defined in claim 1, further comprising a display mounted to the frame and operatively connected with the resistance control unit.
 4. The exercise machine defined in claim 3, wherein the display is configured such that the resistance unit powers the display.
 5. The exercise machine defined in claim 4, wherein the resistance unit includes an alternator that generates resistance, and wherein the display is connected with the alternator.
 6. The exercise machine defined in claim 1, wherein the endless member is a chain comprising a plurality of interconnected links.
 7. The exercise machine defined in claim 6, wherein the steps are mounted to the chain via pins inserted into links of the chain.
 8. The exercise machine defined in claim 1, wherein the first rotary member is attached to and rotates with a gear, and wherein the gear is coupled to the resistance control unit.
 9. The exercise machine defined in claim 1, wherein the travel path defines an angle of between about 35 and 40 degrees to horizontal.
 10. A stair-step exercise machine, comprising: a frame; first and second rotary members rotatably mounted on the frame, wherein the first rotary member is mounted above and forwardly of the second rotary member; an endless member engaged with the first and second rotary members; a plurality of steps, wherein each of the steps comprises a riser panel and a treading panel, wherein a rearward edge of the treading panel is pivotally attached to an upper edge of the riser panel, and wherein each step is mounted to the endless member, with the lower edge of the riser panel and the forward edge of the treading panel being pivotally mounted to the endless member, thereby forming an endless chain of steps that follows a travel path around the first and second rotary members; a resistance control unit attached to the frame and operatively associated with one of the first and second rotary members, the resistance control unit being configured to impart a selectable resistance to the rotation of the first or second rotary member, thereby providing resistance to the movement of the endless member; and a display mounted to the frame and associated with the resistance unit, the display being configured such that the resistance control unit powers the display.
 11. The exercise machine defined in claim 10, wherein the treading panel of each step is configured to provide a treading surface of between about 9.5 and 12 inches, and the riser panel of each step is configured such that each step is between about 4 and 7.5 inches in height.
 12. The exercise machine defined in claim 10, wherein the resistance control unit includes an alternator that generates resistance, and wherein the display is connected with the alternator.
 13. The exercise machine defined in claim 10, wherein the endless member is a chain comprising a plurality of interconnected links.
 14. The exercise machine defined in claim 13, wherein the steps are mounted to the chain via pins inserted into links of the chain.
 15. The exercise machine defined in claim 10, wherein the first rotary member is attached to and rotates with a gear, and wherein the gear is coupled to the resistance unit.
 16. The exercise machine defined in claim 1, wherein the travel path defines an angle of between about 35 and 40 degrees to horizontal. 